Weekly round-up: ITT target cut and Keegan ‘punch’ row

Tes’ education news round-up includes the lowering of the target for recruiting secondary teacher trainees and controversy over Gillian Keegan’s Ofsted ‘punch’ comment

14th March 2024, 6:00pm

Tes Editorial

Catch up on your must-read Tes news and analysis from the past seven days right here:

DfE drops secondary teacher trainee target
The Department for Education has lowered its recruitment target for secondary teacher trainees by 9 per cent for 2024-25, despite missing this year’s target by half amid warnings of a deepening supply crisis.
Keegan urged to publicly retract Ofsted punch comment
Education secretary Gillian Keegan has come under fire for saying that she “would probably have punched” rude Ofsted inspectors, referring to the experience of one school.
Ofsted: In-depth inspections would cost millions more
“Deeper and richer” school inspections could cost an extra £8.5 million a year, Ofsted has said in response to MPs calling for the watchdog to provide more detailed analysis in its inspection reports.
‘Ofsted’s Big Listen has not asked the right questions’
In response to Ofsted launching a consultation exercise, one multi-academy trust leader questions whether the watchdog is really listening to demands for change.
Suspended students ‘a year behind at GCSE’
Students who are suspended at least once are, on average, not receiving a standard pass in GCSE English and maths, according to a new report.
Nude and semi-nude images and AI risks: safeguarding guidance
New guidance for schools from the UK Council for Internet Safety contains new information on the scale of the issue and advice relating to artificial intelligence.
Five ways schools can attract Gen Z teachers
Leadership coach and former head Alex Atherton recommends action that schools can take to attract young teachers amid the current recruitment difficulties.
The legal view: Handling a rise in vexatious complaints
With a recent Tes investigation revealing a rise in parent complaints that is putting a strain on school staff, one lawyer sets out the legal position for schools.
Sir Kevan Collins: ‘We did nothing. We gave up. It was pathetic’
The man appointed education catch-up tsar in 2021, who ended up resigning when funding fell far short of what he expected, gives the inside story on the government’s approach to post-Covid education recovery.
Phillipson: More ‘transparency’ needed in regional ‘layer’
There is a need for more transparency and accountability in the regional “layer” of the schools system, Labour shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.
Mohsen Ojja: ‘It is OK to be ambitious’
In Tes’ How I Lead series, the CEO of Anthem Schools Trust talks about ambition, playing the hand you are dealt and knowing your “why” as a headteacher.